A Day in the Life of Jesus

Have you ever had one of those days when you had too much to do, your schedule was filled, and you didn't know how you would get everything done?  Jesus had some days with lots of things to accomplish, too.  Follow the events of the day in the life of the Son of God.

Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”  At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!” Matthew 9:2-3

The ministry of Jesus was seeing some of its highest level of activity as our Lord performed miracles and directed his teaching toward the religious leaders of the day. These two verses from Matthew 9 are an example of those very things. A paralyzed man was brought to Jesus by some men, which I assume were friends or at least compassionate toward this man's needs. Jesus told the man, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven." Notice the progression of the event. First, the faith of those who brought the man to Jesus. Second, the pronouncement that the man's sins were forgiven. Now third, the religious leaders and teachers accusing Jesus of blasphemy. 

 

Jesus begins questioning the religious experts, "Why are your minds directed to such evil? Is it easier for me to say his sins are forgiven, or to tell him to get up and walk?" I get one of those "gotcha" smiles when Jesus leads the Pharisees into deep thinking like this. He has already told the paralyzed man his sins are forgiven, and that pronouncement alone got Jesus accused of blasphemy.

So ask yourself the same question he asked those law teachers. What is easier?  To tell this man his sins are forgiven or to tell the man to get up and walk? While you are pondering that, look at what Jesus did and said next. 

"I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.”  Then the man got up and went home.  When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man."

We aren't told how the religious leaders responded to that, but the assembled crowd started praising God.  The verses of Matthew 9 which follow, include Jesus calling Matthew to follow him. He went to Matthew's house for a meal and the Pharisees questioned why he was eating with a tax collector and sinners. Following that, Jesus had to answer questions about fasting. The chapter continues and we see Jesus raising a woman's daughter from death, and healing a woman which had been bleeding for twelve years. She simply touched the hem of his garment and Jesus pronounced her well, because of her faith. Then he healed two blind men after they expressed their faith in him. His day was capped off with driving out a demon which was preventing a man from speaking.

Jesus was really busy that day. Lots of people were expressing faith and experiencing healing. Lots of accusations from the Pharisees and teachers. What is the lesson for us to learn?  Jesus has the authority and the power to forgive sins. Regardless of the opposition and evil that may be present, he is still the solution for life's difficulties. That remains true for us just as it was true for every person he encountered during his busy day. 

<ronbwriting@gmail.com>